Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Review: All the Bright Places

Author: Jennifer Niven
Started reading: May 26th 2017
Finished the book: May 27th 2017
Pages: 378
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, YA
Published: January 6th 2015
Source: Borrowed from library
Goodreads score: 4.20
My score:

Synopsis
A Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.




My thoughts
What a captivating read. This book is full of humor, great characters, friendship and love but also has a harsh subject to deal with. I can't do anything other than give this book 5 apples. Loved EVERY aspect of it.

Pros
  • Humor combined with feels: One moment you're laughing out loud and the next you have tears in your eyes. This book is a roller coaster of emotions. I love the humor in this book. It's totally my kind of humor and I kept putting sticky marks in the book, because there were so many parts that I loved.
  • POV: You have two POV's in this book and that's not always a good thing, but it is in this book. Finch and Violet both tell their story and are such great characters who totally drag you along with their story and into their thoughts. They also add to the other person's story and that's what makes it so strong.
  • Bookquotes and booklove: There is so much booklove in this book. The main characters are booklovers just like I am and it was a pleasure to read about them sharing their thoughts and their favorite books with each other.
  • Finch: Finch is such a deep character. I love him. I love how he enjoys all the moments while coping with a serious mental illness. He is so strong but can't see the goodness in himself. He makes me happy, makes me sad, makes me ask questions about mental illnesses.
    There was a Dutch actor who always seemed so happy when he appeared on TV, but he was coping with a serious mental illness as well. Finch really helped me to have more understanding for something so elusive for me. 
Cons
None.

Overall
A gripping story that grabs you and won't let you go until you've finished this book. Full of strong characters, feelings and booklove.. One of my new favs! It's one of those where you don't know if you should laugh or cry.

Other opinions about this book
"A do-not-miss for fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars, and basically anyone who can breathe."
- Justine Magazine

"At the heart-a big one- of All the Bright Places lies a charming love story about this unlikely and endearing pair of broken teenagers."
- The New York Times Book Review

"A complex love story that will bring all the feels."
- Seventeen Magazine

Memorable quotes from this book
"The thing I realize is, that it's not what you take, it's what you leave."

"It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also om them."

"You're probably better at math than I am, because pretty much everyone's better at math than I am, but it's okay, I'm fine with it. See, I excel at other, more important things - guitar, sex and consistently disappointing my dad, to name a few."



What was the last book that made you cry SO HARD?